Stairs



Oct. 1, 1935. J. P. MaCDoNALD STAIRS Filed March 29, 1935 Patented Oct.1, 1935 PATENT OFFICE STAIRS John Patrick MacDonald, Ottawa, Ontario,Canada Application March 29, 1935, serial No. 13,612 In Canada March 16,1935 8 Claims.

My invention relates to stairs.

It is well known that the cost of stairs for houses constitutes anappreciable part of the cost of a house complete. The building of stairsalso calls for special skill and experience which are usually possessedonly by stair builders and not by the majority of carpenters.

The relatively high cost of building stairs is a result of many factors,other than the relatively high wages which must be paid to skilled men,One of these factors is that stairs, that is, risers and treads cannotbe manufactured in largeA quantities at the factory, to standard sizesor dimensions, for the reason that even houses built according todefinite specifications will be found in practice to vary appreciably inso far as the distance between two floors is concerned. Where similarstairs are manufactured at the factory, for houses built according tothesame specification, it is found that the height of the 'risers intendedfor a certain stair has to be varied.

As will be presently seen, the riser and tread made according to myinvention, and which are made of sheet metal or thin metal, are suchthat they can be easily assembled and adjusted relatively to oneanother. They can be manufactured in quantities at the factory, broughtto the house under erection, and installed at their required respectivepositions without alteration thereto.

Their relative adjustability will thus take care of appreciablevariations in the rise or distance between floors, and the run ofhorizontal span.

My invention is not concerned with houses of the superior type, nor withoiilce buildings or the like wherein the stair treads are covered withcement or similar substances, but with houses of moderate prices.

The objects of my invention, therefore, are to design treads and risersfor stairs which will be relatively adjustable in respect of bothVertical and horizontal planes, thereby appreciably reducing the cost ofinstalling stairs. v

As constructed and assembled, the treads and risers will permit of anappreciable range of adjustment, and will present a neat and finishedappearance without having to be covered as with cement, carpet orotherwise.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference indicatecorresponding parts in various iig'ures.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a stair made inaccordancewith my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, front elevation of the riser;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the brace or tread support; Y

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, plan view of the l() tread.

Referring now by numerals to the drawing, A indicates the stairs, B thewall Stringer (two stringers being used as usual, one on each side ofthe stairs) C the lower floor from which the stair rises, and C theupper floor.

l is the tread, and 2 the riser so designed as to constitute a unit, inthe sense that both members that is riser and tread are made to beeasily assembled together and relatively adjustable whereby to adjustthe same in respect of both vertical and horizontal planes toaccordingly vary the effective height of the riser and the effectivewidth of the tread. It will be evident that by effective height of theriser is meant the lift or distance between two consecutive treads, orbetween floor and tread as the case may be, and by effective width oftread is meant the horizontal distance between the outer edge of thetread and the next riser as measured in the longitudinal aX-s of thestair.

The riser is formed with a right angularly arranged turned-out ange 3adapted to rest upon and engage the upper face of the tread lying below,or the iioor as the case may be. 3 The lowermost riser may be secured tothe floor as with screws 4, while the other risers may be secured totheir respective treads as with stove bolts 4A or the like. The verticalface of each riser may be formed with a-right-angularly ar- 4u rangedturned out lug 1 adapted to engage the stringer` to which it may besecured as with screws 8.

The tread may be formed as shown having a turned-down flange 2| adaptedto engage the 15 outer vertical face of the adjacent riser. The flangemay beV secured to the riser as with stove bolts I4 and the like. Thetread may be formed with end, right-angularly arranged turned-upI lugs 5adapted to engage the stringers and se- 50 cured thereto as with screws6. These lugs may also be turned down, if desired, although for manyreasons, they should preferably be turned up as shown. These lugs may beextended to about the forward edge or nosing I2 of the tread, ifdesired. Preferably, end lugs 9 may be formed at each end of the tread,forwardly of the turned down flange, 2l, and under the nosing I2, theselugs being secured to the stringer, say with screws If preferred,supports or braces Il may be used between adjacent riser and tread, asbest shown in Figure l. The support may be formed as shown in Figure -3,having a web 29 and horizontal and vertical flanges 22 and 23respectively. The ange 23 is perforated as at 24 to receive the bolt I4,while the flange 2 is slotted as at 25 to ad justably receive the bolt4A.

If preferred an angle I 5 may be used under the tread, whether a supportsuch as I? be used or not. The angle may be secured in place by thebolts 4A. Such an angle should preferably extend substantially over theentire length of the tread that is from about stringer to stringer. ablyalso, the tread is provided with a turneddown flange l5 at the inner endthereof. Such members as the angle I5, the supports Il, lugs 9, andiiange I6 will obviously result in a more rigid stair as a whole.

In order to permit of ,the adjustment of the tread in a vertical plane,relatively tol the riser,

the riser may be slotted as at I3. The tread may thus be shifted up ordown on the riser, to the desired position, after which the nuts on thebolts I4 are tightened. If preferred, lock nuts or spring Washers may beused, or else the end of the bolt shank burred to permanently secure thenut in place.

Preferably, the flange 2i of the tread and the vertical face of theriser are serrated or corrugated adjacent the slots I8, as shown at I9,in Figure 2, that is, where both tread and riser are forced together bythe bolts I4, the purpose being to increase the friction between boththese members Vafter they have been finally assembled. Such serrationswill, in fact, provide a positive lock between both members as long asthe nuts on the bolts do not appreciably turn.

In order to permit of the adjustment of the riser in a horizontal planerelatively to the tread, the horizontal face of the tread may be slottedas at 20 to slidably receive the bolts 4A. Instead of providing slots,such as I8 and 29, the metal may be stamped to form so-calledknock-outs, or discs, any one of which can be knocked out or removedonce the right position of the tread or riser has been determined.

While the riser is secured to the tread` lying above as with bolts I4,it is evident that the uppermost riser would be secured to the floor aswith screws II or the like. Y

The invention contemplates the use of wood stringers, which will permitof the use of screws such as 6, 8 and Ill, and provide for the easy andinexpensive fastening of the lugs 5, 'I and 9 in the required positionon the. stringers. Metal` covered stringers could also be used withoutadding much to the cost of installation. Where all metal stringers wouldbe used, holes would have to be Vdrilled and tapped after the exactpositions f the treads and risers had been determined. In such a case,machine bolts would preferably be used and the cost of installationwould be somewhat increased. V

It will be seen that once the risers and treads are assembled, thestairs will present a neat and finished appearance. By providing aflange 34 from the riser adapted to engage the upper face of thetread,rand by providing knock-outs instead of slots 2@ and I8, a largerange of adjustment is 5 possible of the riser on the treadrand of thetread on the riser.

Operation The most .expeditious and inexpensive method 10 of installingmy stair is as follows:

After the exact rise and run have been determined and the stringersaccordingly out to the required size, the respective positions of therisers and treads are determined and marked oli on the stringers, allaccording to usual practice. The stringers are laid upon the oor or workbenches and one proceeds to assemble the risers and'treads to thestringers. Preferably, the lowermost riser is first secured to thestringers, although the uppermost tread may first be secured in place.The riser is thus secured by'means of the screws 8. The rst tread isnext applied, the screws 6 securing the lugs 5 to the stringers and thescrews I through the lugs 9 (Where such are used) 25 securing these lugsto the stringers; the bolts I4 fasten the riser to the tread. The nextor second riser is now applied; and so on.

l. In stairs, a unit comprising a metal riser and a metal treadadjustably securable together, said riser terminating at the bottom in arightangularly arranged iiange engaging the upper face of said tread topermit of their relative adjustment in a horizontal plane, and means foradjustably securing said flange to said tread.-

2. In stairs, a unit comprising a metal riser and a metal treadadjustably securable together, said tread terminating at the forwardedge in a downwardly-extending flange engaging one face of said riser topermit of their relative adjust-Y ment in a vertical plane, and meansfor adjustably securing said flange to said riser.

3. In stairs, a unit comprising a metal riser and a metal treadadjustably securable together, said tread having a turned-down andturned-in forward portion forming a nosing and a downwardly-extendingflange from the nosing engaging the forward face of said riser to permitof the relative adjustment of said riser and tread in a vertical plane,and means for adjustably securing said flange to said riser. y

4. In combination with a stair stringer, a unit comprising a metal riserand a metal tread, said riser terminating at the bottom Vin a,right-angularly arranged flange engaging the upper face of said tread topermit of their relative adjustment in a horizontal plane, meansadjustably sel curing said flange to said tread, said riser having a lugadapted to engage the stringer, and means securing said lug to theStringer.

5. In combination with a stair stringer, a unit comprising a metal riserand a metal tread, said tread terminating at the forward edge in adownwardly-extending Vflange engaging one face Yof said riser to permitof their relative adjustment in a vertical plane, means adjustablysecuring said flange to said riser, said tread having a lug engaging thestringer, and means securing said lug to the Stringer.

6. In combination with a stair stringer, a unit comprising a metal riserand a metal tread, said tread having a turned-down and turned-in-forward portion forming a nosing and a downwardlyextending angefrom'the nosing engaging the 75 forward face of said riser to permit oftheir relative adjustment in a vertical plane, means adjustably securingsaid flange to said riser, said tread having an end lug adjacent thenosing, and means securing said lug to the stair stringer.

7. In stairs, a unit comprising a metal riser and a metal treadadjustably securable together, said riser terminating at the bottom in arightangularly arranged ange engaging the upper face of said tread topermit of their relative adjustment in a horizontal plane, and means foradjustably securing said flange to said tread, said tread terminating atthe rear edge in a rightangularly turned flange forming a stiffeningmember for said tread.

8. In stairs, a unit comprising a metal riser and a metal treadadjustably securable together, said riser terminating at the bottom in arightangularly arranged ange engaging the upper face of said tread topermit of their relative adjustment in ahorizontal plane, means foradjustably securing said flange to said tread, and a support betweensaid riser and tread and positioned under the latter.

JOHN PATRICK MACDONALD.

